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Man accused of trying to open emergency exit says he heard voices

The 23-year-old man who tried to open the emergency exit of an Alaska Airlines flight on Monday told a Port of Portland police officer that he was possibly schizophrenic and had been hearing voices, according

Man accused of trying to open emergency exit says he heard voices

This undated image released by the Multnomah County, Ore., Sheriff's Office shows Alexander Michael Herrera, accused of trying to open the emergency exit door of an Alaska Airlines flight Monday. He was arrested and booked into a Portland, Ore., jail.(Photo: AP)

The 23-year-old man who tried to open the emergency exit of an Alaska Airlines flight on Monday told a Port of Portland police officer that he was possibly schizophrenic and had been hearing voices, according to the Oregonian.

A federal complaint filed in U.S. District Court today, and chronicled by the Oregonian, detailed the chaotic scene that led to Alexander Michael Herrera being restrained by passengers and flight attendants and arrested upon landing at Portland International Airport.

The complaint says that Herrera told police he had been diagnosed as bi-polar but had not taken his medications in more than a year. He told police he had been hearing voices for the last four days.

Herrera was seated in the emergency exit row on Alaska Airlines Flight 132 from Anchorage to Portland. According to the complaint, he had told a passenger seated next to him that he was "psychic" and asked what her sign was.

About 30 minutes before landing, he tried to open the exit door, according to the complaint.

Passengers Robin and Jason Streumpler wrestled with him to try to get him to stop. Streumpler had to punch him, the complaints says. Other passengers rushed to help.

"Herrera was fighting back and yelling, 'Why are you doing this? Why are you trying to hurt me?'' the complaint says, according to the Oregonian.

A police officer met the plane at the gate once it landed, handcuffed Herrera and escorted him off.

Herrera was scheduled to be arraigned this afternoon in U.S. District Court on allegations of attempted destruction of an aircraft, the paper reports.

The Association of Flight attendants praised the flight attendant's role in subduing Herrera.

"Flight Attendants demonstrated extraordinary professionalism under pressure," said Jeffrey Peterson, Association of Flight Attendants president at Alaska Airlines. "While the next generation window exit remained closed in flight, the flight attendants quickly gained control of a potentially dangerous passenger. We commend our Alaska Airlines colleagues for their swift response and skilled management of the situation. And, we thank the passengers who immediately responded to the threat and followed crewmember instruction."